1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a stretcher, and more particularly to a stretcher to lift and transport patients that are lying on an irregular surface and that have to be lifted and transported with the least possible trauma.
This type of stretcher is useful for patients that are in very serious condition and should not be lifted to be put on the stretcher.
The stretcher of the present invention is particularly useful in those situations in which people injured in car accidents remain lying on the ground with traumatisms that make necessary to move them to an ambulance, without changing their position so as not to aggravate their condition.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for the transfer of patients, by using conveyor belts that are introduced under the body of the patient, to avoid the transfer are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,979.
In the patent set out above there are two superposed continuous conveyor belts. The conveyor belts surround separators, which are retractile plates shaped.
Another type of stretcher is the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,073, by the same inventor, in which a new feature is added to improve the previous invention. The improvement is the addition of lever bars to adjust the distance between the rolls that drive the continuous conveyor belt.
Furthermore, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,680,818 discloses a device to move lying down persons by means of two belts rollable around two rolls and two extensible plane plates. The plates are horizontally retractable on the surrounding belts.
The advantage of the stretcher of the present invention is the simplicity of its mechanism in comparison with the already known ones. Its essential difference is that the flexible band or sheet does not have any movement at all, but the slightly inclined plate has it.
The main object of the invention is a stretcher that lifts the patient on to the stretcher from a plane surface and is then used to move the patient to his transportation. The novelty of the invention is that it consist of a frame including both longitudinal beams among which there is a slightly inclined plate. The plate is surrounded by a flexible sheet that can slide on the plate and on both longitudinal beams. Along the longitudinal beams there are a series of recesses in which the teeth of each dented wheels penetrate. The dented wheels pertaining to a rotating axis, its ends are joined to a bow-shaped base with legs that support the stretcher. The flexible sheet is fixed to the base. An end of the rotating axis, which has a driving means, projects at the side of the base.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, at the end of the longitudinal beams corresponding to the lower end of the sheet there are wheels for the movement of the stretcher.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, at the end of the longitudinal beams corresponding to the lowest end of the sheet there are each leading edges conformed in such a way that when they are moved on irregular ground the longitudinal beams drive themselves as, when they are in contact with the ground as gliders (for example, a sledge)
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving means at the end of the axle are a coupling for a ratchet that has a lifting mechanism that allows it to make the axle rotate.
In said preferred embodiment of the invention, the driving mean at the end of the axle is a coupling to a speed reducer coupled to a driving motor.
In the above embodiment of the invention, the ends of the flexible sheet are joined by means of a part which, simultaneously is fixed to the base.